Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-10


Marcus Langly, an intelligent colored
citizen, arrived in Sacramento yesterday
from the eastern portion of North Carolina.
He comes here to spy out the land, and
make arrangements for an immigration of
his people to this coast. A representative
of the RECORD UNION met Mr.. Lapgly last
evening, and found him to be an intelli-
gent and interesting gentleman. He was
delighted with California and with Sacra-
mento. After being introduced, be handed
the reporter some manuscript, remarking,
Those are my credentials, sir" They
read as follows:
CoXvILLE, PITT COUNTY. \. c.
November %. 1887
To all those who are interested in the improve
ment of the laboring classes of men these letters
are addressed, to inform them that the many
friends of Marcus Langly have reposed conf
dence in him to go on mission to California to
view the situation and report back to them We
see newspaper reports that wages are higher in
California than in any other State in the
Union, and that colored labor is prefer
able to Chinese labor. This is big thing
for the laboring class of men who be-
lleve that Americans should rule America
should ameliorate her laborers, and choose
Marcus Langly TO aid in the work by telling the
truth on California. 1t may prove more ability
for him to say that he is a Primitive Baptist
preacher, with such familiarity and power of
speech to disseminate correct information to his
fellow-man.
Signed by William N. King, Sheriff of Pitt
county; ]. d. Murphy, Henry Sheppard, J. J.
Perkins, F. ]. Johnson, Ryant kedding, J.
Latham.
The document was indorsed by E. A.
Moye, Clerk Of the Superior Court of Cox
county, who testified to the integrity Of
Mr.. Langly and the signers of the paper,
and had the seal of the county attached
How did you come to get the California
fever" queried the reporter.
"Well, I'll tell you, sir. Times are verv
hard on poor people in North Carolina.
We cannot get steady employment, and
when We do wages are very poor indeed,
and on the other hand provisions are high.
If a man gets forty cents day for labor he
is doing well, and 81 so per week for the
best labor is called high In the cotton
picking season this year we could only get
thirty-five and forty cents a hundred.
Every day our streets are crowded with
forced idlers, and the county roads are full
Of people with their blankets on their backs
trudging from place to place in search OF
work. We heard of California. Some of
our people can read, and few California
papers fell into their hands, and the Won
derful things we read of made US believe
that this was the land of promise. Here
we could get plenty of work and good
wages. How were we to get here, and how
were we 10 prove the correctness of those
stories was the first thing to consider. I
am very well known in that portion of the
State by the colored people, and they unan-
imously agreed that l should go into this
unknown country, that I should penetrate
this famed paradise and report TO them
the result of my investigations. We were
all poor, and how was l to get the money
necessary to make the trip. l preached
several sermons and took up collections,
but the poverty of the people was such
that it was impossible to raise the funds
necessary in this manner. Ny first collec-
ton was sixty-three cents, my last one one
dime. / made up mind that my people
must have deliverance. | determined to
be their Moses, and, selling my hogs and
cattle, leaving my family with six months
rations, | am here.
Sacramento Well, I'll tell you. | took a
map of California and looking for the
Capital l found it was Sacramento. did
not know a soul in this State; neither did
any of my people. So l thought I would
write to your Governor. I wrote him, and
here is his reply:
SACRAMENTO, October Il, 1887.
Marcus LGngly, C0Irite, Pit County, North caro-
SIR: Yours of The 18th instant hap
been received. The Governor desires me to say
in reply that ne would be glad to welcome q
large immigration of your people to California,
personally, OF course, he has no means at his
command to assist you, and as the Legislature is
not in session, and will not be until January
1889, he would have no authority to net He
believes 1t would be better for the best interests
OF the State if colo-ed labor could be introduced
here, so as to force out Chinese or coolie labor
but how to do it is the proposition? At the
present writing, no definite or useful informa-
ton could be given you, but the Governor de-
sTes me to say that he Will take the subject into
earnest consideration, and win write to you
again, Yours, truly,
NJ. D. BoRuCK, Private Secretary.
" You notice the Governor said he would
write me again. Well, he did not, but
we were so well-pleased with his letter
that we concluded to call and see him
anyhow. l wrote him on the 1st that J
would call on him on the 9th and yes
terday | was as good as my word. ]
called at the Capitol and was kindly re-
ceived by the Governor and his Private
Secretary, Mr.. Boruck. To find such GEN
tleman in such high social ara political sta
tions manifest so much interest in myself
and my people, was an unexpected pleasure
The Governor will assist me, so he saws. in
making arrangements so that my people
can at some future time come to California
and take positions as laborers now occupied
by an Objectionable class. The families
that represent, and those for whom de-
sire to secure situations, are first-class in
every respect honest, honorable and in
dustrlous. Those that are not are as well off
in North Carolina as they are here, and
will never get to California through any
assistance of mine.
How do I like California? Well.
sir, the fondest dreams of my life are real
lied. The paradise that has been written
about is perfect Eden. The climate. the
4hor of,o H.. l.
what | can see and learn are an improve
ment on those of many other portions of
the globe. The man who cannot live
happy and contented in this country, with
her fruits, flowers and evident prosperity.
would not be contented in that mansion.
the keys of the front door of which are held
by st. Peter"
He said the fare from Charlotte, North
Carolina, to Sacramento, is $50 25, and he
would like to make arrangements with
parties desiring good laborers to bring ont
a dozen or more families. They will work
out the money advanced for their fare. l
want to get my people, that is the good
ones, out here. To be blessed on earth is
to get passport from North Carolina to
California. Mr.. Langly became very en-
thusiastic of the soil and productions.
when he narrated what he saw from the
car windows in the last two hundred miles
of his journey.
d" l am told" he said that Chinese domes-
tics are getting from 50 to $S per week. /
would like to fill all those places with
good intelligent boys and girls from North
Carolina. We do not want the earth, and
would be satisfied with the wages paid
Chinese labor We can give you as good
cooks, walters, cab-drivers, gardeners, field
workers as the world can produce. / can
and will vouch for their honesty and in
tegrity. From what have learned TODAY.
can see that there are openings for many
of my people who can fill places now
occupied by the Chinese, and make for
themselves from 81 to 81 80 per day, and
others where they can get steady employ
ment at from $40 to $50 per month and
board. Really, sir, l am constrained to
say that the California papers have not
lied about their country, but on the con-
trary have not told haff. l am here to
stay"
Ex- Congressman Z. c. Deerino who died